Rajma Sundal Recipe Whiskaffair

on Jan 31, 2024 Rajma is a great source of vegetarian protein and I make many recipes using it. Here are some more rajma recipes that are my favorite – Punjabi Rajma Masala, Kashmiri Rajma, and Old Fashioned Kidney Beans Salad. In Central and South India, Haldi Kumkum is a tradition where people invite married ladies to exchange turmeric and vermillion. In Bangalore, my friends used to invite me to the ritual, and there was always a Sundal of some kind for the Prashad. I loved the dish’s simplicity, and slowly, Sundal became part of my food plan. On days I want to eat something light and healthy, I make a sundal. Now while sundal can be made using many different beans, this Rajma Sundal is what I cook the most.

About Rajma Sundal

Rajma Sundal is a South Indian dish in which rajma, or red kidney beans are stir-fried in a simple tempering and then mixed with grated fresh coconut. It is an everyday dish prepared in almost all South Indian households as a snack or side dish. It is also popularly served during the Navratri and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals as Neivedyam (prashad). My recipe serves 4 people but if you want to make it for more number of people, then you can easily scale it up. I used my 3-quart instant pot to cook the rajma. You can also use a 3-liter stovetop pressure cooker. You can easily meal prep this recipe. I cook the rajma and grate the coconut in advance. Cooked rajma stays good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and grated coconut can be frozen for 3-4 months. Now whenever I feel like eating the sundal, I can make it in just 5 minutes. To make a variation, you can replace rajma with chickpeas (chole), white peas (safed matar), fresh peanuts, black chickpeas (kala chana), green gram, lobia, or corn. Coconut – You will need grated fresh coconut. To save time, buy already grated coconut. You can find it in the freezer section of an Indian grocery store. Others – To make this sundal recipe you will also need oil, asafetida (hing), brown mustard seeds, white urad dal, curry leaves, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), freshly squeezed lime juice, and dry red chilies To make it gluten-free, skip adding asafetida. All the other ingredients used in this recipe are gluten free. You can add chopped green chilies if you like rajma sundal to be spicy. Drain the water and rinse the rajma once again. Add the soaked rajma into the inner pot of a 3-quart instant pot along with 2 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. Mix gently using a ladle. Once the timer goes off, you will hear a beep. Let the pressure in the instant pot release for 10 minutes without disturbing it. Now move the valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. I always move the valve using a spoon to prevent my fingers from burning from residual steam. Now you can open the lid. Note – To cook the rajma using a stovetop pressure cooker, add soaked rajma, salt and water to a stovetop pressure cooker. Put the cooker on heat and cook on high heat until 1 whistle comes. Then, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 12 minutes. Transfer the cooker to the kitchen counter and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid. Do not overcook; otherwise the rajma will become mushy. We need rajma that is cooked well but still retains its shape. Now drain the water and keep the cooked rajma aside. Once the oil is hot, add the following ingredients to the pan to fry.

¼ teaspoon asafetida 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 2 teaspoon white urad dal 2-3 dry red chilies 10-12 curry leaves

Fry until the dal turns golden brown. Stir frequently with a ladle. Finally, add the following ingredients to the pan and mix them with a ladle until combined.

¼ cup grated fresh coconut 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice